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Where does the word "ceramic" come from? It comes from Greek keramos, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
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Where does the word "ceramic" come from? It comes from Greek keramos, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
Ceramic’s story begins in Greek: keramos meant “potter's clay.” Potter's clay, or an earthen vessel. It reached English by 1850s as ceramic. From Greek 'keramos', potter's clay; Athens's potters' quarter was the Kerameikos. Today, ceramic means relating to pottery or other objects made from fired clay.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient keramos "potter's clay", potter's clay, or an earthen vessel.
- Stage 2 · English · 1850s ceramic "relating to objects made from fired clay", from Greek 'keramos', potter's clay; Athens's potters' quarter was the Kerameikos.